New Members Named to USOPC Collegiate Advisory Council

Robin Harris, Grace Latz and Sydney Barta will join the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee’s Collegiate Advisory Council  as new members.

Harris, executive director at the Ivy League, joins the council after at the 2024 Olympic Summer Games, the Ivy League had the fourth-most athletes on Team USA with 51 athletes across 12 sports. As an Olympian, USRowing board member, chair of the USRowing Athlete Council, Team USA Athletes’ Commission alternate and former collegiate rower at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Latz brings a wealth of experience from both the Team USA and collegiate systems. Barta, the first Paralympian on the Stanford track and field roster and Paralympic representative on the Team USA Athletes’ Commission, is a 2024 World Para Athletics Championships silver medalist and a six-time Parapan American Games medalist.

“The connection between college athletics and the Olympic and Paralympic movements has never been more vital,” said USOPC Chief Executive Officer Sarah Hirshland. “Many of Team USA’s most successful and promising athletes come from the collegiate sports system, and the guidance of collegiate leaders is essential to Team USA’s growth and success. We’re excited to welcome Robin, Grace and Sydney to the Collegiate Advisory Council – their deep commitment to student-athletes and Olympic and Paralympic sport will be invaluable as we continue to strengthen this important partnership.”

Harris, Latz and Barta will begin their appointments at the council’s annual meeting at the Women Leaders in Sports national convention this fall.  Harris will replace Scott Stricklin, Latz will replace Chaunté Lowe and Barta will replace Jessica Heims, who have all completed their terms. The 12-member council will be comprised of:

• Bernard Muir (USOPC CAC chair)
• Sydney Barta (Stanford University)
• Greg Byrne (University of Alabama)
• Jen Cohen (University of Southern California)
• Lauren Crandall (Wake Forest University)
• Bubba Cunningham (University of North Carolina/USOPC board representative)
• Mark Harlan (University of Utah)
• Robin Harris (The Ivy League)
• Grace Latz (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
• Rob Mullens (University of Oregon)
• Jamie Pollard (Iowa State University)
• Kendall Spencer (University of New Mexico)